When surfaces become contaminated with bacteria, fungi, yeasts, viruses, or other microorganisms, or “microbes,” sickness (morbidity) and, sometimes, death (mortality) may result. This is particularly true when surfaces in food processing plants and healthcare facilitates (e.g., hospitals) become contaminated with microorganisms.
In food processing plants, surfaces (e.g., solid surfaces, equipment surfaces, protective clothing, etc.) may become contaminated. Such contamination may be caused by or transferred to meat or other foods. In healthcare facilities, microbes may be released onto surfaces (e.g., solid surfaces, equipment surfaces, clothing, etc.) from infected individuals. Once a surface becomes contaminated with microbes, contact with the contaminated surface may easily and readily transfer microbes to other locations, such as another surface, an individual, equipment, or food.
As is well known, microbial contamination and transfer in certain environments may pose significant health risks. For example, the food that leaves a contaminated food processing plant will subsequently be eaten, and may cause sickness and, possibly, death. Microorganisms such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enteriditis, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 are of particular concern.
Microbial contamination is of concern in healthcare facilities since some of the patients of such facilities often suffer from infections by pathogenic microbes and, thus, bring the pathogenic microbes into such facilities. Further, many of those who are present in such facilities (e.g., patients) are sick and may be immunologically compromised. These individuals are, thus, at increased risk of becoming sick from infection by the contaminating microbes.